Is it confident or confidant? (Or is it confidante?)

If you find yourself unsure whether you should choose confident or confidant don’t feel bad; confidant comes to English from the French word confident, and when the word first entered our language it was often spelled that way, rather than as confidant. The difference is quite simple: confidant is a noun (meaning "a person in whom you confide things"), and confident is an adjective (defined as “having confidence”). You may well be confident in your confidant, but you would not be confidant in your confident. Although this distinction has not always been observed by writers, confidante is generally used for a female confidant. The word confidant is more frequently used to describe a man, but it may be applied to either gender.

Examples of confident in a Sentence

I am confident about my ability to do the job. The players seem more relaxed and confident this season. He has become more confident in his Spanish-speaking skills. They have a confident air about them. We are confident that conditions will improve soon.

Recent Examples on the Web Andrew Wyatt, Cosby’s spokesperson, says Cosby and his team feel confident in their case. — Ethan Millman, Rolling Stone, 16 June 2022 Might people be interested in bulk purchases or a subscription, given enough information to feel confident with such a choice? — David Rose, Forbes, 12 June 2022 Of course, Kiplagat has every reason to feel confident. — Martin Fritz Huber, Outside Online, 11 June 2022 The Virginia native is drawn to men who are well dressed, confident, ambitious and tall. — Vijai Nathan, Washington Post, 9 June 2022 These are confident, creative and fun dudes who would surely accept a first-class upgrade in dating you. — Wayne And Wanda, Anchorage Daily News, 29 May 2022 There was a time when the Miami Heat were relaxed, confident, with enough leeway to exhale and savor. — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 26 May 2022 China is different now—more self-confident, more intransigent, and probably more militarily competent as well. — David Rieff, The New Republic, 24 May 2022 Aggressive and self-confident philanthropic activity has, inevitably, generated a backlash. — Nicholas Lemann, The New Yorker, 23 May 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'confident.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.